Player piano



S. L. FISHER.

PLAYER PIANO.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG.|5, 1918. I 1,404,107, Patented Jan. 17, 1922,

5 SHEET$-SHEET lattozneq s. L. FISHER. PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I5| 1918.

1,404,107. Patented Jan. 17, 1922,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- S. L. FISHER.

PLA ER PIANO.

- APPLICATION FILED AUG.15, 191s.

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Patented Jan. 17, 1-922.'

s. L. FISHER. PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.15,19I8.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

S. L. FISHER.

PLAYER PIANO.

APPLlCATlON FILED AUG.I5, 191$ 1,404,107, Patgnted Jan. 17, 1922.

5 5HEETSSHEET 5.

attozniq ments have to be made.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY L. FISHER, OF CHESTER, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRATT READ PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT. I

To aZZ 007mm it may concern: Y I

Be it known that I, STANLEY L. FISHER, a subject of the King IofGreat Britain, residing in Chester, county of Middlesex, State of- Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Player Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I i I This invention relates to player pianos, and it has special reference to the means for shifting the hammer rest-rail automatically so that the hammers-are moved close to the strings when the pumping is soft and mox'ed away from'the strings, to give the full hammer stroke, when the pumping-is hard. Devices having this broad purpose in view have been used heretofore for relieving the performer of the automatic piano from the necessity of controlling the position of the hammer rest-rail manually and for obtaining a device in which the pianissimo passages are rendered with great delicacy and the fortissimo passages with great power, thus securing the desired contrast of expression. In prior players, however, the means for controlling the hammer railf auto matically has been very complicated and expensive in many instances and at the same time unreliable in operation.

. One of the primary objects of my present invention is to furnish a very simple. inexpensive and eflicient device for obtaining the desired movements of the hammer rail.

Another object which I have in view is the provision of a device which is'very positive, in its action so that repairs and adjustments are not frequently needed, but which, nevertheless, is so located and arranged relatively to the other parts that it is very coni'cnicntly accessible if repairs or djustj Another important feature of my improved expression device consists in the fact that the device for shifting the hammer rest-railautomatically acts-on the customary soft pedalstick, so thatthe construction can be quite simple and so that it 1s unnecessary to introduce additional operating arts into the piano case above the keyboar but the operation of this soft pedal stick by the pedal is notinterfered wlth in any way. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a very compact, simple and efficient device for connectingthe equalizer bellows PLAYER PLAN 0.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 1'7, 1922 Application filed August 15, 1918. Serial No. 250,008.

of the player with the soft pedal stick in such a manner as to obtain the desired results.

Another improvement resides in the provision of means which enables the performer to place the automatic expression device out of commission if desired and to restore it to the operative condition, at will, the

manipulation of a simple controlling an.

rangement.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

.Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of an automatic expression device embodying my improvements, with certain away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1

with 'certain parts omitted, showing the through the key bed, showing the cut-out le-vice or manual controlling device in the inoperative positionr Fig. 8 is a similar view. showing the cutout device in the operative position, in which it prevents the movement of the ha1nmer rail by the automatic means; and

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of certain parts shownin Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is intended to be located in the lower part of the piano: case beneath the keyboard and to cooperate with the usual equalizer bellows located there and with the customary soft pedal stick that is mounted to slide up and down at one side of the piano case, said stick being connected with the soft pedal in such a manner that the former is raised when the pedal is depressed and is lowered when the pressure on the pedal is released.

The bottom of the piano case is shown parts broken at 20, and the ordinary soft pedal stick 21' is, in this case, located at thelefthand end of the instrument and guided in a bracket 22' The soft pedali23, which isof the usual type, projects through an opening in the toe-rail 24, and is connected rigidly at its rear end in any con-j for vertical movement.

venient manner with a rock shaft 25, journalled in blocks 26 on top ofthe base board.

The rock shaft has acrankarm' Q'TWlth af fiat, perforated end 28, on which the lower end of the soft pedal stick is adaptedto rest as shown inFig. 2. The soft pedal stick is positioned relatively to the crank arm- 27 by means of a pin 29 rigidwwiththe lower end of thestick and adapted to operate in a guide hole 30 inxthe part 28. When the pedal 23 is depressed, the crank arm 27 is toward the strings to a certain extent 'to employed.

shorten the hammer stroke. I

I have not illustrated anddescrihed in detail the specific means for, mountingthe hammer rail and operating it from the soft pedal stick, as the same forms no part of: my invention and as anypreferred method" of actuatingthe rail from-the stick'can be When the pedal 23 is released,

7 the weight of the hammer railfand stick causes the latter to move back bygravity to the position shown in Fig. 2, or other means may be employed for restoring the parts quickly to the initial position. i

The automatic control of the hammerrail is achieved in the present instance by interposing suitable connections between the cus tomary equalizer bellows and the lower part of the soft pedal stick. The precise manner in which the bellows Eris mounted is not material, and for the sake of simplicity v I have shown it mounted on a board or standard 34 rising from'the baseboard 20.

The front wall 35 of the bellows, whichis preferably inclined forwardly and apwardly, is rigid, the movable leaf 36Ibeing arranged at the rear and havingiits pivotal point lowermost. Fig. 2 shows the bellows in the inflated condition and; in Fig. 3 "it is shown partly deflated, the upper end of the movable leaf being moved to the right in' thisinstance. The bellows is normally held in the fully infiatedcondition by the customary spring 87, locatedat the end farthest from the soft pedal stick. asshown at Fig. 1. At the end of the bellows whichisneai est the soft pedal 'stick, a lever 38- is pivoted intermediate of its'ends on apivot99. The

pivot 39"n1ay conveniently comprise a pin projecting put laterally from the movable 3 leaf of the bellows and carriedby'bracket 4O screwed to the movable leaf 'at'the back,

as shown in Fig. 9. The pivot pin' 39 is 10- link 41 with a crank 42 on the righthand end (Fig. 1) of'a small rockshaft 43, journalled in metal blocks 44 on the top of a wood block 45 on the basebOard-QO. This rock shfaft43 extends lengthwise of the piano, somewhat above the baseboard and approximately in linewitlfthes'oft pedal stickl At its lefthand end. (Fig. l) ithasfa crank 46,

.cated adjacent thelower edge of themovable bellowsleaf andis therefore near the point. 7 about which the leaf swings. The lower end *of the lever 38 is connected by a short wire which ispivoted at it's free end bypin 47 V to the. lower end of a lifting bar '48. Near; its upper end'the lifting bar 48 has a slot 49, through which projects a screw or other headed fastening 50 secured in and proj ecting laterally from the soft pedal. stick. When the partsare in the position shown in Fig. 2, the screw 50 is at the bottom of the slot .49'and .boththe cranks" 42-46 project upwardly and forwardlyi The lever 38 normally has a substantially [vertical position, its upper end' beingprovided with a later ally extending pin 51 (extending back of. the

movable leaf of the bellows. A flat spring 52, secured to the rear face of thefmovable "bellows leaf, has a free end acting against the rearedge'of the leiver' 38 near the upper end-of that lever, so that the pin 51 is forci'bly. held in contact with the movable bel-' lows leaf. In this manner, the lever'38 is connected to the movable leaf at two points,

2 16., where the'pivot 39 and pin-.51 respeca tivelyare located, and the leverfis adapted to-move bodily-with the movablelleaff lt;

will be: understood, however, that the'connection between the upper part of thelever and the movable leafis a yielding connectiomfl owing to the provision of the' spring V i When the pneumatlc playing mechanism is notinuse, the bellows E is opened out to its inflated position by its spring and the V V The hammer restrail 31 is in, the normal poparts take the position shown'in Fig.2.

sition and the hammers 32' have the full stroke. If it is desired to play the piano manually, f tllfi softpedal isticlrcan be readilyactuated by the, pedal in the manner previouslydescribed; In this operation" the connections from the equalizer bellows do "not interfere in anyway. as the slet 49 in the lifting 'bar"48 enables the stickto be When: the instrument is played pneumatt raised and lowered" without obstruction.

cally'by the customary" or any preferred pneumatic meansfof'whichthe equalizer E is a part, the hammer rail is actuated automatically. W'hen thepuniping is light, the blows of the hammers against the strings are light, owing to the slight tension, and in order to accentuate the pianissimo effect, it is desirable to move the hammers toward the strings so that they will have a shorter stroke, and this is effected as follows: When the bellows E is only'slightly collapsed, due to easy pumping, the lever or operating bar 38 is moved forwardly with the movable leaf of the bellows, at the upper end of said lever or bar, while its lower end is shifted slightly towards the rear. As said lower end moves rearwardly, it pulls back the crank 42 through the link 41, there by turning the rock shaft 43 and causing the crank 46 to be lifted. The crank 46 carries upward the lifting bar 48 and as the lower edge of the slot 49-impinges against the screw 50, the soft pedal stick or rod is lifted to a certain extent. depending on the force of the pumping. Then the bellows is about halfway collapsed, the crank 46 reaches a substantially vertical position in which it and the rod 48 are in alignment with the stick 21, and in this position the stick is raised to the maximumso that the hammer rail will be thrown as far as possible towards the strings and the hammer stroke will be very light. Up to this'point, the upward lift of the stick 21 is increased as the tension in the bellows is increased. \Vhen, however, the bellows continues its collapse beyond about the halfway point, the lower end of lever 38, in being swung still further to the rear, carries the crank 46 past the dead center, so that the pivot between the crank 46 and rod 48 is carried to the rear of the axis of the stick 21. moving downwardly in an arc corresponding to that through which it has previously been moved upwardly. As the collapse of the bellows continues, the pivot 47 moves downward and backward. pulling down on the bar 48, and as the slot 49 is gradually lowcred, the stick 21, withfthe screw in said slot, is permitted to. move back toward the initial position. This initial position is reached at or about the time that the bel- The position of the .lever 38, lifter bar 48 and associated parts, under these conditions, is shown in Fig. 4. An adjustable stop button with a felted face is mounted in a bracket 54 on the block forthepurpose of limiting the rearward throwcof the rock shaft43 by] impinging against the upper end of the crank 42.

. The spring'52on the back of the bellows permits a certain yielding of the bar 38 relatively to the bellows and hence there will be no straining of the parts in case they are not nicely adjusted.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that. while the automatic expresslon device; actson the soft pedal stick, it

does not interfere with the operation of said stick in the ordinary manual playing. While the described arrangement 1s a very simple one, it provides very effectively for shortening the hammer stroke automatically when the bellows is only slightly collapsed,

then lengthening the stroke again when the bellows is more completely collapsed and pression device at times, I may provide the instrument with a controlling means by which the automatic expression device can be made inoperative or operative at will as desired. For this purpose, the player piano shown in the drawings is provided with a blocking device which preferably cooperates with the upper part of the operating bar 38 and which may be moved into and out of its blocking position from the keyboard.

In the example shown, an elbow lever is pivoted to the under part of the key bed 56. The ,lever- 55 is arranged to swing in the horizontal plane and it is pivoted at One-end, 55, is arranged in close proximity to the upper end of the operating bar 38, while the other end of lever-55 is pivoted at58 to alink 59. The other end of the link is pivoted to a crank 60, on a transverserock shaft 61 beneath the key bed.v said rock shaft being operable by a lever 62 projecting up through a slot 63. This lever 62 has an operating portion disposed above the key bed in front of the keys. where it may be conveniently manipulated. In the position shown in Fig. 7, the elbow lever 55 has its end 55 'swung toward the front of the piano, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6,'and it therefore permits the upper end of the bar 38 to pass by-the same when the expression device operates in the manner preof the upper part of said board. The locking action of thelever 55, when the manipulating lever 62 is thrown to the right. is due to the fact that the crank 60 and the link 59 are in the dead center position, beyond rail beingmovable away from thelstrings,

wiich it is impossible for them to go, as

the lever 62 is then at thalright hand'end of its slot. Consequently, anyforward pushing movement onthefree end of lever iSlefFeCtiVQly resisted by the'link 59 and the blocked crank 60. Under these conditions, the bellows moves independently of the bar 38, the spring52 yielding'to the necessary extent to permit the full collapse of the bellows, while the bar 38 remains in the substantially vertical, inoperative po sition. I-Ience 1t will be understood that when the"eut-out device is in the operative position. the stick 21 will-not "be lifted unless this is done byimeans of the foot pedal 23.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the scope of my invention as defined inthe claims.

It will be observed that the members -16 and 48 pivotedtogether at 47 form elements of a toggle, which is in a dead-comer? poserves as anfloperatingmeans for i 1. In a 31a er iiano hammer rail mechasition when the soft pedal stick or red is in its uppermost position, that is, when the operating bellows is partly collapsed. When the bellows is fully inflated the toggle is at one side ofthe center position, and as said bellows is moved from the fully inflated to the fully deflated position, the toggle moves to'and past the center position carrying the hammer rail towards the strings and. then permitting it to move back again. It is understood that the bellows E is called the equalizer bellows because it is placed intermediate the usual pump and wind-chest (not shown) to equalize thet-ension. In addition I to its usual function it 7 the hammer rail, as herein'described.

What I c'laimis: I

' nism involving'a movable operating member and operating means conneeted tosaid member tozmov'e the hammer rail toward the strings, said operating means being so arranged that on further movement thereof in'the same direction the hammer raili's permitted to move away from the strings.

In a player: piano, hammers, strings,

a movable {hammer rest-rail, a lifting rod .for moving-said rail toward the strmgs,.and

' actuatingmeans connected to'said rod'ar ranged to lift the same assaid means is moved in one direction, said hammer resta I as the fmovement' ofsaid' actuating -means in the same direction continued.

3. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a

movable hammer rest-rail, a lifting rod for 7 moving said rail, andfactuating means for said rod having an arcuate' movement during the preliminary'part of which said rod is lifted to move the hammers toward the strings, said actuating means being-soarl0. In

ing means'movable in singleidirection to shift the hammers toward the strings to a predetermined extent and thenaway from the strings. g 7

5. In a player piano, ahammer rest-rail, andhammer rest-rail actuating means movable in an arc in a single direction to shift the hammers toward the strings to a predetermined extent and then away from the strings. I 7 v '6. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a hammer rest-rail, a lifting rod for shifting said rest-rail, a bellows, and connecting means between said bellows and said lifting rod to move the hammers. toward thest'rlng as the bellows is partially collapsed and to p move the hammers away from the strings upon its further collapse. L 1

7. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a

hammer rest-rail, a-bellows, and connecting.

means between said bellowsand rail to move said railtoward the strings during a prelimlnary collapse, of thebellows andto' move the rail away from the strings upon its further collapse. r I

' 8. In .a playerpiano, a hammer rail liftrod, a bellows alongside the same, a shafthaving a plurality of cranks, a member connecting one of said cranks with the bellows, and' a second-member connecting another crank with'the lifting rod.

9.' Infa player piano, a; hammer rail actn'a ting member, a bellowshaving a movable leaf, an operating member carried by said movable leaf, and connecting means bev tween said operating member and said hammer rail actuating member to move the hammers toward the strings during the preliminary part of the collapsing movement of the bellows :andto move the hammers away from the strings" as it'is fully'collapsed.

tuating member, a bellows having amovable leaf, an operating bar yieldingly mounted on the movable leaf of said bellows, and

bar-and said actuating member;

'11. In a player piano, a "hammer rail actuating lifting rod, a-bellows having amovable leaf, an operatingbar carriedby the means of connection between said operating movable leaf of said bellows, a lifting bar having a lost-motion connection "with said lifting rod, a'rock shaft having. cranks,

means for connecting one of said cranks.

with said operating bar, and means for con necting another crank with said lifting bar. 12. In a player pranofa movable hammer raihadevice for shifting said hammer rail,

a player piano, a hammer rail acris a bellows having a movable leaf, means associated with said movable leaf for actuating said shifting device, and means for preventing operation of said actuating means by blocking the movement of the same.

13. In a player piano, a movable hammer rail, a device for shifting the same, a bellows having a movable leaf, an operating member for said rail-shifting device movably mounted on said leaf, and means cooperating with said operating member to block the movement of the same.

1a. In a player piano, a movable hammer rail, a device for shifting the same, a bellows having a movable leaf, an operating -member for said rail-shifting device movably mounted on said leaf, means cooperating with said operating member to block the movement of the same, and means for manipulating said last named means from the key-board.

15. In a player-piano, a movable hammer rail, a device for shifting the same, a bellows having a movable leaf, an operating bar yieldingly mounted on said movable leaf, means for connecting said bar with said rail-shifting device to cause the hammer rail to be shifted by said bellows, and a cut-out device for blocking the movement of said operating bar while permitting the collapse of the bellows.

16. In a player piano, hammer rail mech anism including a lifting rod, a toggle connected with said lifting rod, and adapted to lift said rod as'the joint of said toggle is moved to the central-position, and to permit the lowering of said rod as this joint is moved past the central position, and means for operating said toggle.

17. In a player piano, hammer rail mechanism including a lifting rod, a toggle connected with said lifting rod, and adapted to lift said rod as the joint of said toggle is moved to the central position, and to permit the lowering of said rod at this joint is moved past the central position, and means for operating said toggle, including a bellows and lever connections between the bellows and the toggle.

18. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a movable hammer rest-rail, a bellows having a movable lea-f, meansfor operatively connecting said rail to said leaf, including a rocking crank, said crank moving said rail towards its strings as said bellows is partially collapsed and moving said rail away from its strings as the bellows is further collapsed.

19. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a movable hammer rest-rail, a bellows having. a movable leaf, and means operated by said movable leaf for positioning said rest-rail, said means supporting said rail in its closest proximity to said strings when said bellows is partially collapsed, and moving said rail from said strings as said leaf is moved in either direction from said partially collapsed position.

'20. In a player piano, hammers, strings, a movable hammer rest-rail, a lifting rod for moving said rail, a pedal for operating said rod, a bellows for operating said rod independently of said pedal, and means for operatively connecting a leaf of said bellows to said rod, said means including a. rocking crank for moving said rail towards its strings as said bellows is partially collapsed and for moving said rail away from its strings as the bellows is further collapsed.

21. In a pneumatic actuating device, a motor pneumatic having a movable leaf, an actuating lever pivoted thereto at the hinge thereof, and having a lost motion connection with said leaf.

22. In a pneumatic musical instrument, a motor pneumatic, an actuating member positively connected thereto for movement in one direction and yieldably connected thereto for movement in another direction.

23. In a pneumatic musical instrument, an equalizing pneumatic, an actuating member positively connected to the equalizer for movement in one direction and yieldably connected to the equalizer for movement in another direction.

24. In a pneumatic actuating device, a motor pneumatic having a. movable leaf, an actuating member yieldably connected thereto to normally be moved thereby, and means to prevent movement of said actuating member upon movement of said movable leaf.

25. In a pneumatic actuating device, an actuating member. a pneumatic, and connections between said member and said pneumatic to move said member in opposite directions during a continued movement of the movable leaf of the pneumatic in one direction.

26. In an expression device, an expression controlling member, an actuating pneumatic therefor, and connections between said member and said pneumatic to move said member in opposite directions during a continued movement of the movable leaf of the pneumatic in one direction.

27. In a player piano, a piano action including hammers and strings, means to move said hammers relatively to the strings to vary the flroke thereof, an actuating pneumatic and connecting means between said pneumatic and moving means to move said hammers toward the strings during the initial collapse of the pneumatic and away from the strings upon its further collapse.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on the 5th day of August, 1918.

STANLEY L. FISHER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,404,107, granted January 17,

1922, upon the application of Stanley L. Fisher, of Chester, Connecticut, for an improvement in Player Pianos, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, lines 71 and 72, claim 4, for the Words actuating means read rest-rail; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in i the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of February, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,404,107, granted January 17,

1922, upon the application of Stanley L. Fisher, of Chester, Connecticut, for an improvement in Player Pianos, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, lines 71 and 72, claim 4, for the Words actuating means read rest-mil; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in i the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of February, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

